RE: http://www.unionrecorder.com/local/local_story_303221614.html

First of all. Who the heck desinated Milledgeville as a "College Town?) This town belonges to the tax paying, property owning citizens not GC&SU!!! The students did not build this town. They do not pay property taxes that provide the services in this town. All this mess is a Ken Vance idea and he needs to be voted out of office.

There are many who would disagree with your statement; with three colleges (Central Georgia Technical College, Georgia College & State University and Georgia Military College) one would be foolish to believe that the colleges do not have an impact on this community. The students may not pay taxes but they help provide the dollars that keep our downtown active and alive and provide a presence in this community that leaves both a short-term and long-term impact. While you may not necessarily be a fan of the term "college town," I personally believe this is a college town and that term will probably continue to partially describe Milledgeville for years to come. The students are just as impacted by Council decisions as your next door neighbors.

Thou I agree with you in part, I dissagree with you as a whole on your comment. I was born and raised here in Milledgeville. I remember when GC&SU was GSCW. It was small and not very important to our City. It was the property owners and citizens that supported this city. If as I said GC&SU closed the doors today we would still survive. It seems to me that today the regular citizens have become totally unimportant in this town! It appears that all decisions that our USELESS city councle makes revolves around how GC&SU, the staff and student's feel on issues. If the college wants something they get it 99% of the time no matter how we other citizens feel or what we say. All I am trying to say is that our City councle should start weighing both sides equally on issues instead of always voting in favor of GC&SU. They do not bend over for GMC and CGTC the way they do for GC&SU. Think back and ask when has the Councle made special offers to either GMC or CGTC on parking, discount property sales ect. like they have to GC&SU.

James2---You mean to tell me that you DO NOT want to take into consideration a group of people that provide 8 Million in additional revenue to Baldwin Co and they pay SALES TAX!!
GCSU is unimportant? How many people work at GCSU? How many parents come to our hotels and restaurants? They almost single-handedly support downtown.

Council should consider all sides... but do not belittle the positive financial impact the students bring to our county.

I know they should be CONSIDERED. But, They should not have total control over decisions made here in milledgeville like they do now!!! Every time GC&SU wants something they get it no matter what oppision comes from the general public. Ken Vance and the other councle members bend over backwards to see that the college get what they want. When was the last time you took your family downtown on a weekend night and did not have to listen to half drunk college students going from bar to bar using all kinds of profanity ect? If I did that I would be locked up for public drunk and desterbing the peace but the Police leave the college students alone. I have witnessed with my own eyes many times when the cop's just ignored them. But, I guess that might be because Vance not only works for the college but is over the PD too. Oh and FYI, CSH and the prison systems here employ way more people than GC&SU does!!!Now tell me who pumps the most money into Milledgeville!!

do the "clients" of those establishments (CSH and Prisons)pump $8 million into our economy?

Just go ahead and say it. WE NEED EVERY JOB, EVERY BUSINESS, EVERY DOLLAR for our economy.
and we need to accommodate as many groups as possible to make sure their money stays here vs. fueling another city's economy

I wasn't talking about the "client's" I was talking about the employees. DUH!!!

OH and by the way. I beleave that we regular citizen's, property owners and business owners pump way more into our community than GC&SU does and always have done so. So why should GC&SU have more say than we do?? I think it should be the other way around.

Dear James2,

Maybe you need to go check out some English classes at GC&SU and bone up on your spelling.

I agree with you my spelling is not the best but I get my point's across. Here's a question for you. Just who the heck are you to insult me in anyway? I never said anything to you ever. Is that all you can say in this discussion? If it is why don't you just GO AWAY.

True, I have nothing important to add to the discussion since I have no dog in this fight. Sorry for calling you out on your spelling.

To add my $.02 to the discussion, this is a very touch issue. When I was in school at UGA, the year I graduated the council passed this same type of legislation and it really hurts everyone. The students get screwed, landlords get screwed, family homeowners are resented by others for wanting this initiated in the first place. There is really no easy way to make everyone happy because no matter what happens, someone is not going to like the outcome.

Just a few years ago I was a college student at GC&SU. I have since graduated and set roots here in Milledgeville, built a home on the lake and started a family.

James2, you sound like an elitist local that fears progress. I hate to break it to you, but if it weren't for GC&SU, GMC, and CGTC's presence here, Milledgeville wouldn't be faring too well.

Instead of shutting the college students out, we should be nurturing their needs. Some of them might want to become permanent fixtures.

Pleiades: First off, I do not fear progress at all. Next, as I said before Milledgeville survived before any of the 3 schools you mentioned were big enough to make any impact at all and Milledgeville would survive if they all 3 closed their doors tomorrow!!! It is us tax payers that support Milledgeville. Always have, all ways will. We do not need a bunch of students, 99% of whom won't even stay here after they graduate, comming in here and demanding that we tax paying citizens bow down to their every whim and wish. It is our property taxes that pay for our streets dept, fire department, police department, ect. Not the sales tax the students pay on what they buy. We the tax payers OWN this town not the student's. Mr. Kin Vance needs to be tought that lesson or loose his next election. My dad payed property taxes for over 70 yrs, I have paid them for over 40 yrs now. So you tell me, who has paid more, us or a 4 yr student from GC&SU? I have no problem with the students being here I do however have a problem when our SORRY present city government puts them above us everyday citizens. They are not that special in my book. As for the student's at GMC and CGTC, most of them are local so that makes a difference in my opinion of them. But, you don't see our city offical's makeing exceptions for them do you? It's ALWAYS about GC&SU and what they want. Don't beleave me? Try going back a few yrs and dig up old stories on how that 1 instituion has effected this city.

James2, I wanted to comment on a few of your statements. You are naive to believe that many of Milledgeville's business districts (441 corridor and Downtown specifically) would survive if all three local colleges/Universities were to close their doors. In fact, many businesses would not survive if GCSU closed it's door or further limited enrollment. The net family income of GCSU students is far higher than that of Baldwin County citizens. Think about the businesses that are shopped by the students and the success they have - Wal-Mart built a Supercenter, bars in Downtown multiply ever year as do restaurants on 441, the school is resurrecting the Campus Theatre, etc. Now a boost to the local economy is not the only reason GCSU has a weighted opinion on the city, but every other reason is positive as well. Many GCSU employees that work with Mainstreet and the city are very intelligent and lend their talent as employees of the University to improving Milledgeville in terms of economic planning, historical preservation, transporation, and the list goes on.

The taxpayers of Milledgeville have more of an impact on city services, I will give you that, but you cannot leave out the students. Sadly, college students are more prone to police reprimand, thus many of the "drunk college students" pay for police and city services indirectly. I'm not sure if you aware, but a minor in possession of alcohol offense costs upwards of $1000 - most of which goes directly to the city. Also, I would invite you to observe downtown and the police officers you say ignore the students, that cannot be farther from the truth.

And finally, your impression of Ken Vance is also disturbing. He is a great asset to the city and is not a sole voice for GCSU. He understands more than some of the even greater senior council members, the importance of properly integrating University and city. He is also a Milledgeville native like yourself and cares very much for Milledgeville. And no, he is no longer the Chief of police at GCSU nor a University employee. He has moved on to a state position.

Thank you for your time, and this is not meant to be in anyway an attack on your very pointed statements, but an explanation as to another point of view.